Awards, Tributes, and Global Honorars of Sant
Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj (1990–2007)
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj has been honored with the following numerous awards, tributes, and global honors:
Aug. 3, 2007
Received New York State Assembly Proclamation
Honored by City Councilwoman Helen Sears and State Assemblyman José R. Peralta who presented a New York State Proclamation that said: “his Herculean efforts to uplift humanity deserve our special recognition.”
Aug. 3, 2007
Received a New Jersey Joint Legislative Resolution
presented by the Deputy Speaker who commended Sant -Rajinder
Singh Ji Maharaj for “his outstanding record of devoted service to the children and people of the world community”.
Aug. 3, 2007
Honored by Two Nassau-Suffolk County jurists
who
asked the Long Island Community to try Sant Rajinder Singh Ji’s method of meditation, saying: “we’ve tried everything else without success, let’s try this!”
Aug. 3, 2007
Received a Citation from Suffolk County
Executive Thomas R. Souzzi that thanks Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj for, “sharing his wisdom with the community and for inspiring us to strive for greater empathy and cooperation among peoples of all faiths.”
Apr. 27, 2007
Honored by the Cultural Minister of Ecuador,
Dr. -Antonio Preciado, in Quito, Ecuador, for his message of peace, love, and unity through meditation.
Apr. 25, 2007
Honored by the Coffee Growers Federation of Colombia
for the hope brought to the people of Colombia with his clear solution for peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Apr. 25, 2007
Honored by the Ministry of Education of Colombia
for his work with opening Darshan Academy schools.
Apr. 23, 2007
Received the Order of “Juan del Corral,” Award, the highest honor of the city,
from the City Council of Medellin for his work toward bringing fresh hope for peace in Colombia with his technique of meditation on the inner Light and Sound.
Apr. 21, 2007
Received the Distinguished Medal of the Confederation of Cities in the Rank of Humanitarian, the highest award,
from the Governor Angelino Garzon of Valle Del Cauca for a new approach for bringing peace and forgiveness to Colombia through his meditation technique and for putting it into action in the state and country.
Apr. 20, 2007
Received Guest of Honor Decree, the city’s highest honors, and the Key to the City of Cali,
from the mayor of Cali, Dr. Apolinar Salcedo-Caicedo, for his message and work towards peace and forgiveness. Usually, only one award is given at a time. This was the first time in Cali’s history that both the Guest of Honor Decree and the Key to the City were awarded at the same time to one person.
Apr. 2007
Received the “Order of Independence”
for his work in spreading the message of peace and forgiveness from the President of the Departmental -Assembly, Dr. Marino del Rio, from the Assembly of the Valle del Cauca.
Apr. 2007
Received honor from a representative from the indigenous people of Colombia
Apr. 19, 2007
Received Keys to the City of Palmyra
Sep. 6, 2006
Michigan Legislative Tribute for “spiritual leadership [that] breathes life in to a global effort to seek unity at the level of the soul and transcend racial, cultural, national religious and economic differences.
Sep 18, 2006
Goodwill Message of Tribute from Most Rev. Peter K. Sarpong, Catholic Archbishop Of Kumasi, Ghana “to acknowledge his tremendous efforts at achieving peace through prayer and meditation in this time of our history.”
Sep 14, 2006
Tribute Letter from Uri Avnari, Nobel Peace Alternative recipient for Sant Rajinder Singh’s commitment to human unity
May 17, 2005
Granted Honorary Doctorate
from the Universidad Technologica de Santiago, UTESA, Santo Domingo, Dominican -Republic.
Jan. 15, 2004
Received the Keys to the City of Iquitos,
of the Municipalidad Provincial de Maynas, Dept. of Loreto, from the Mayor of Iquitos.
Jan. 14, 2004
Honored as distinguished Guest of Honor
and an Honorary Engraved Plate from the President of the Region of Maynas, in Iquitos, Peru.
Jan. 10, 2004
Granted 2 Honorary Doctorate degrees
in recognition of his work to introduce spirituality into science and education, from two of the most distinguished universities of Peru – Universidad Federico Villareal and Universidad Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
Dec. 15, 2003
Honored by the president of Trinidad,
His Excellency President George Maxwell Richards, (Max Richards), at the President’s office in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Sept. 8, 2003
Honored by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham at the Council House of Birmingham
Aug. 28, 2000
Selected to speak at the opening session of the UN Millennium Peace Summit for Religious and Spiritual
Leaders in the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Aug. 28, 2000
Special meetings
with Chief Rabbi of Israel, Meir Lau; Nokuzola Mndende, Director of the Icamagu Institute, African Indigenous Religion, from Capetown, South Africa; Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of England; Rabbi Avraham Shayevich, Chief Rabbi of Russia; His Eminence Gregorios Theocharous, Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of Great Britain;Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, head of the Sufi Order; Rabbi Avraham Soetendorp, Netherlands; Sister Giovanni from Assisi; Rev. Dada Vaswani, head of Sadhu Vaswani Mission; and Bettina Grey, Television Producer.
Jan. 2, 2000
Special Meetings
with Shri Madan Lal Khurana, Member of Parliament, Government of India; Dr. Narender Nath, Minister of Education and Industry, Government of India; Swami Chidanand Saraswati, India Heritage Society; Swami Suryaprakash Ji; and Rabbi Ezekiel Isaac Malekar, Jewish Welfare Society.
Dec. 29, 1999
Special meetings
with: Dr. Ephraim Isaac, respected author and director of the Institute of Semitic Studies at Princeton University, who visited Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, India; Mr. -Yoganand Shastri, Miniser of food and Civil Supplies, Government of Delhi; M.M. Swami Prakashanand Ji from Jagat Guru Ashram; Lama Lobzand; Mr. A.K. Merchant, National Spiritual Assembly of Baha’is, India.
Nov. 16, 1999
Honored by addressing the U.S. Coast Guard Academy
on the topic of the moral dimensions of leadership in New London, Connecticut.
Oct. 30, 1999
Special meetings
with Mary Mxadana, Director of Protocol and Diplomatic Liaison for President Nelson Mandela, Foreign Office, of South Africa; Sister Joan Kirby, Temple of Understanding; Dr. William Lesher, President Emeritus Lutheran School of Theology, University of Chicago; Bishop Anandus Weimar; Dr. Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss doctor, researcher, thinker, and world-renowned ballooning pioneer; Werner Ludemann, International Association for Human Values, NGO, Germany; Gunter Saalborn, World Conference on Religion and Peace, NGO, Germany; Uri Avnery, former member of the Israeli Parliament, author, Founder of Gush Shalom; Lydiah Bosire, World Voices, Kenya; Svetlana Chebanova, Peace-House, Russia; Elly Pradervant, Women’s World Summit Foundation, Switzerland; Daniel Gomez-Ibanez, Executive Director, International Committee for the Peace Council (Organization of Nobel Peace Laureates), NGO, United States; General Consuls of Poland, South Africa, Croatia, Russia, and the Ukraine; and Father Maximilian Mizzi of Assisi.
Oct. 29, 1999
Special meeting with Lech Walesa, Former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Laureate
Oct. 29, 1999
Special meeting
with Rabbi Tzvi Freeman of Canada; and Bishop Peter K. Sarpong, Member of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa, from Ghana.
Sep. 3, 1999
Welcome tribute from Governor Gray Davis of California
Sep. 3, 1999
Welcome tribute from Mayor Shirley Dean of Berkeley, California
Sep. 3, 1999
Welcome by Wilma Chan, President of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Alameda, California
Nov. 27, 1998
Resolution of Tribute Concejo Municipal Palmira
Nov. 27, 1998
Decree of Honor Alcaldia Municipal de Palmira, Alcalde Municipal Jose A. C. Forero and Secretary General Oscar Hernan Guzman M.
Nov. 7, 1998
I.I.T. (Illinois Institute of Technology) Received a Distinguished Leadership Award.
Presented to prominent international alumni who have had a major impact on their own country or influence beyond its borders. It was given to Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj for his outstanding dedication to promoting human unity and world peace.
June 1998
Golden Key to the Polytechnic University of Quito
Presented to Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj for his work in the field of education by the University Rector.
June 5, 1997
Peace Award by the Interfaith Center of New York and the Temple of Understanding
at a ceremony consisting of United Nations NGO’s (Non-government Agencies)
Special honors from: Very Reverend Eugene Pappas, Archimandrite of the Greek Orthodox Church; the Very Reverend James Parks Morton of the Interfaith Center of New York; Dr. Bernard Tetsugen Glassman, Roshi of the Zen Community of New York; Rev. John McAuley, MM Associate Secretary General of the World Conference on Religion and Peace; Sister Joan Kirby, Executive Direcctor of the Temple of Understanding; Jonathan Granoff; and Leonard Marks, Board of Directors of the Temple of Understanding.
Apr. 25, 1997
Selected to lead a prayer at a ceremony to honor new United Nations Secretary General His Excellency Kofi Annan, and met with the Secretary General and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, His Excellency Bill Richardson.
Also met with the Very Reverend Eugene Pappas, -Archimandrite, Greek Orthodox Church in America; Sri Chimnoy, Leader of the Peace Meditation of the United Nations; and Reverend Joan Campbell, Executive Secretary, National Council of Churches.
Mar. 23, 1997
Honored by Chief Minister of City of Delhi
for Inaugurating a Multipurpose Community Center in Tatesar, Gram Village, Delhi that provided social services such as teaching people skills and providing a children’s playground, library, and hall.
Feb 6, 1997
Was a special invitee to the National Prayer Breakfast over which the president of the United States presided.
Met President Bill Clinton; First Lady Mrs. Hillary Rodham-Clinton; Vice-President Al Gore; Tipper Gore; U.N. Ambassador, Bill Richardson; Lieutenant General, Richard B. Myers, Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Honorable Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House, and U.S. Representative from Georgia; Rev. Jesse Jackson; Andrew Young, U.N. Ambassador under President Jimmy Carter, former Mayor of Atlanta, and former U.S. Congressman; Edwin Meese III, former Attorney General to President Ronald Reagan, honored with the Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow in Public Policy, and currently of the Heritage Foundation, and his wife, Ursula Meese; Tom Donnelly, former White House Staff Member and former head of Health and Human Services; U.S. Congressman, John Christensen, Representative from Nebraska; Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii; former U.S. Senator, Dave Durenberger from Minnesota; former National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan, Robert (Bud) McFarlane; former U.S. Secretary of State, Robert McNamara; Roy Cook, one of the organizers of the Nation al Prayer Breakfast; Kohei Hashimoto, Senior Research Fellow of the PHP Research Institute, Japan; Archbishop Alan de Lastic of Delhi; Prime Minister of -Bangladesh; President of Surinam; President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni; Prime Minister of Samoa; the Governor of Jamaica; Lord Ready from the House of Lords in England; the Ambassador of Nigeria; Retd. Lieutenant General C.M. (Mick) Kicklighter of the U.S. Army and Deputy Under Secretary of the Army, International -Affairs; H.E. Mr. Utula Utuoc Samang, U.N. -Ambassador, C.M.G. from Papua, New Guinea; M. -Emanuel Hug, Ph.D., -Visiting Expert, United Nations Organization, and Advisor, Japan -International Cooperation Agency; Richard McElheny, CEO, Customer Service Representative from the Office of Finance, U.S. House of Representatives, and his wife Barbara McElheny; Congressman Bill Barrett, U.S. Representative from Nebraska; Congressman Richard Gephardt, U.S. House Minority Leader and U.S. Representative from Missouri; General Ronald R. Fogleman, Chief of Staff, United States Air Force; Hon. Congressman Bill Barrett; Hon. Dan Coats, U.S. Senator from Indiana; Dr. Benjamin Carson, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital, who had received recognition for an innovative operation separating Siamese twins in 1987; Hon. Edward T. Schafer, Governor of North Dakota; four senators from Poland; Taduesik Jacek Zielinski, Member of Parliament, Poland; Susan Baker, wife of former Secretary of State, Jim Baker; Mr. Koji, Chairperson of the Fuji Bank, Japan; Member of Parliament of Cambodia; She-Jih Park, Chairperson of the 1988 Seoul Olympics and head of the Korean National Prayer Breakfast; Speaker of the Parliament of Mongolia; member of the Parliament of the Philippines; former Senator and Chief Advisor to the Speaker of the House from Thailand; Jan Boyd of Australia; Francois Loeb of Switzerland; Father Walter Lili of Vanulata; and former Senator John Davidson of Springfield, Illinois.
Sep. 14, 1996
Special Meeting with Senator Virgil Clark Smith, of Michigan
who visited Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, India.
Sep. 14, 1996
Special Meeting with Rev. Dada Vaswani, Head of Dada Vaswani Mission,
who visited Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, India.
Sep. 14, 1996
Special Meeting with Father Maximilian Mizzi, of Assisi, General Delegate to Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue at the Franciscan Order in Assisi, Italy,
who visited Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, India
Sep. 14, 1996
Special Meeting with Sister Joan Kirby, Executive Director, Temple of Understanding,
who visited Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, India
Sep. 14, 1996
Special Meeting with Ven. Mettanando Bhikkhu of Thailand,
who visited Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, India
Sep. 14, 1996
Special meeting with Dr. Karan Singh, Former Indian Ambassador to the United Nations,
who visited Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, India
July 24, 1996
Key to the City of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico from Honorable Hector O’Neill, Alcalde
July 24, 1996
Tribute from XVIII Latin American Association Congress, Nelida Gomez, Board Chair
Nov. 3, 1995
Welcome Tribute Congressman Ray LaHood, 18th District, Illinois
Nov. 3, 1995
Welcome Tribute James A. Maloof, Mayor Peoria, Illinois
Oct. 21, 1995
Honored by being selected to lead a meditation for thousands of people at the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations held in New York.
July 23, 1995
Resolution of Tribute and Welcome, Howard County, Maryland County Council
July 22, 1995
Governor’s Citation, State of Maryland, Governor Parris N. Glendening for “dedicated effort to promote harmony and peaceful coexistence throughout the world”, and honoring “strong commitment to human unity, global ecological balance, and world peace”.
July 22, 1995
Proclamation Designating July 22, 1995 “The 2nd Annual Sant Rajinder Singh Day” in Baltimore by Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke in appreciation of “the commitment Sant Rajinder Singh has shown to promote the ideals of world peace”.
Dec. 18, 1994
Tribute from President of Cameroon’s Special Attache, Paul Biya
Oct. 24, 1994
Welcome Tribute Dr. Helmut Zilk, The Mayor and Governor Vienna, Austria
Nov. 5, 1994
Special Meeting with H.H. Bartholomew I., Ecumenical Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Turkey
Nov. 3, 1994
Special invitee to present his book to His Holiness Pope John Paul II, At the Vatican, Rome, Italy
Aug. 1994
Received Proclamation from Mayor Vera Cruz, of Portland, Oregon
Aug. 1, 1994
Certificate of Welcome, City of Los Angeles, Mayor Richard J. Riordan
Aug. 1, 1994
Certificate of Welcome, City Council of Los Angeles, Ruth Galanter and Jose Ferraro, City Council Sponsors
July 27, 1994
PROCLAMATION Mayor of Baltimore, Kurt L. Schmoke,
declared July 27, 1994 as “Sant Rajinder Singh Day” in Baltimore, Maryland
for “travels throughout the world, teaching people how to attain inner and outer peace through meditation.”
July 27, 1994
Certificate of Honorary Citizenship, State of Maryland, Governor William Douglas Schafer and Secretary of State Tyrus S. Othey
Apr. 4, 1994
Special Invitee of His Beatitude Ioannes Chrysostomos, Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church, Nicosia, Cyprus
Mar. 24, 1994
Received Tribute from Mayor Frank Dobusch, City of Linz, Austria
Feb. 6, 1994
Special Meeting with H.H. The Dalai Lama
at Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, India
Feb. 6, 1994
Tribute from Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts
Feb. 3, 1994
Special Meeting with Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan,
at Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, India
Oct. 15, 1993
Memento of the Shield
Presented by the Mayor and Municipal Commission of Jullander.
Sep. 3, 1993
Dialogue on Peace with former UN Deputy Robert Mueller
then President of the University for Peace in Costa Rica.
Sep. 2, 1993
Special meeting with H.H. The Dalai Lama of Tibet,
at the 1993 Parliament of the World Religions.
Sep. 2, 1993
Special Meeting with The Very Reverend James Parks Morton, Dean of the Cathedral Of St. John the Divine of New York
Sep. 2, 1993
Special Meeting with Swami Satchidananda, of
Satchidananda Ashram
Sep. 2, 1993
Special Meeting with David Steindl-Rast, Benedictine Monk
Sep. 2, 1993
Special Meeting with Paulos Mar Gregarios, Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Delhi
Sep. 2, 1993
Special meeting with Swami Chidananda Saraswati, Divine Life Society of Rishikesh
Sep. 2, 1993
Special meeting with Al Huang, Tai Chi Master of the Living Tao Foundation
Aug. 31, 1993
Special Meeting with Honorable K. R. Sinha, India Counslate General – Chicago
July 23, 1993
Tribute from Acting Chairman of the Council, Hon. John Ray, of District of Columbia, United States
July 23, 1993
Tribute from Sharon Pratt Kelly, Mayor District of Columbia, US
Apr. 1, 1993
Welcome Tribute from Congresswoman Susan Molinari, 13th District of New York
Jan. 8, 1993
Tribute from Prime Minister Samuel Archibald Hinds of Guyana
Jan. 3, 1993
Tribute from Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ralph Myra, of Trinidad
Jan. 3, 1993
Tribute from Speaker of the House of Parliament, Occah Seepaul, of Trinidad
Dec. 26, 1992
Sebastian de Belalcazar Award
Presented by Mayor of Cali
Dec. 25, 1992
Guest of Honor of City Council of Popayan
Dec. 23, 1992
Golden Key of the City of Palmira
Presented by the Mayor
Dec. 21, 1992
Key to the City of Medellin
Dec. 18, 1992
Simon Bolivar Award
(Condecoracion Oficial Simon Bolivar) for his Services in the field of science, education, and culture. Granted to people of international renown working for the benefit of Humanity. Presented by Minister of Education, Colombia, at the Ministry Of Education of Colombia, in Bogotá.
Dec. 17, 1992
Plaque from Fe-Code (National Federation of Educators of Colombia).
A professional organization of a quarter million professors and teachers. In recognition of valuable service to education for a peaceful world. Presented in Bogotá, Colombia.
Aug. 1992
Tribute from Governor Jim Edgar, Illinois
Aug. 5, 1992
Tribute from Senator Edward Kennedy, of Massachusetts
Aug. 5, 1992
Tribute from Mayor Raymond L. Flynn, of Boston
July 23, 1992
Tribute from Senator John F. Kerry, of Massachusetts
July 16, 1992
Tribute from Governor William Weld, of Massachusetts
May 21, 1992
Golden Cross of the Order of Santiago de Cali
April 8, 1992
Received a Tribute from Senator Daniel Inouye, of Hawaii
April 5, 1992
Spark M Matsunaga Peace Foundation, Award for Peace
April 5, 1992
Tribute from Governor John Waihee, of Hawaii
April 5, 1992
Tribute from Senator Daniel Akaka, of Hawaii
April 4, 1992
Tribute from Mayor Frank Fasi, of Honolulu, Hawaii
Mar. 1992
Tribute from Congressman Neil Abercrombie, of Hawaii
Mar. 29, 1992
Tribute from Former Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser of Australia
Mar. 26, 1992
Tribute from Lord Mayor Steve Coundis, of Adelaide, Australia
Aug. 31, 1990
Tribute from Governor Douglas Wilder, of Virginia
July 28, 1990
Tribute from Michigan State Legislature
July 1, 1990
Tribute from Governor Jaime Malo Ordonez of Azuay, Ecuador
June 28, 1990
Medal of Cultural Merit from National Minister of Education, Bogotá, Colombia
June 23, 1990
Tribute from President Virgilio Barco, Colombia
June 21, 1990
Medal and Plaque of Cali – Bestowed by President of the City Council of Cali, Colombia
June 14, 1990
Banner of Peace
Mexico City, Mexico
In India, Sant Rajinder Singh has received honorary welcomes, tributes, and plaques in nearly every city, province, village and town he visits, they are too numerous to list.